Introduction to Scripting in Python Specialization
Launch Your Career in Python Programming. Master the core concepts of scripting in Python to enable you to solve practical problems.
Offered By


Skills you will gain
About this Specialization
Applied Learning Project
Each course ends with a practical project utilizing Python scripting skills. The introductory projects will focus on typical core scripting problems such as processing dates and finding differences in similar files. Later in the specialization, you will learn to work with data stored in files to do sports analytics and data visualization. These projects include reading historical data on baseball, computing statistics from this data, and analyzing the results. Finally, the specialization culminates in a project where you will import economic data from the World Bank, process that data, and visualize this data overlaid on a world map.
No prior experience required.
No prior experience required.
How the Specialization Works
Take Courses
A Coursera Specialization is a series of courses that helps you master a skill. To begin, enroll in the Specialization directly, or review its courses and choose the one you'd like to start with. When you subscribe to a course that is part of a Specialization, you’re automatically subscribed to the full Specialization. It’s okay to complete just one course — you can pause your learning or end your subscription at any time. Visit your learner dashboard to track your course enrollments and your progress.
Hands-on Project
Every Specialization includes a hands-on project. You'll need to successfully finish the project(s) to complete the Specialization and earn your certificate. If the Specialization includes a separate course for the hands-on project, you'll need to finish each of the other courses before you can start it.
Earn a Certificate
When you finish every course and complete the hands-on project, you'll earn a Certificate that you can share with prospective employers and your professional network.

There are 4 Courses in this Specialization
Python Programming Essentials
This course will introduce you to the wonderful world of Python programming! We'll learn about the essential elements of programming and how to construct basic Python programs. We will cover expressions, variables, functions, logic, and conditionals, which are foundational concepts in computer programming. We will also teach you how to use Python modules, which enable you to benefit from the vast array of functionality that is already a part of the Python language. These concepts and skills will help you to begin to think like a computer programmer and to understand how to go about writing Python programs.
Python Data Representations
This course will continue the introduction to Python programming that started with Python Programming Essentials. We'll learn about different data representations, including strings, lists, and tuples, that form the core of all Python programs. We will also teach you how to access files, which will allow you to store and retrieve data within your programs. These concepts and skills will help you to manipulate data and write more complex Python programs.
Python Data Analysis
This course will continue the introduction to Python programming that started with Python Programming Essentials and Python Data Representations. We'll learn about reading, storing, and processing tabular data, which are common tasks. We will also teach you about CSV files and Python's support for reading and writing them. CSV files are a generic, plain text file format that allows you to exchange tabular data between different programs. These concepts and skills will help you to further extend your Python programming knowledge and allow you to process more complex data.
Python Data Visualization
This if the final course in the specialization which builds upon the knowledge learned in Python Programming Essentials, Python Data Representations, and Python Data Analysis. We will learn how to install external packages for use within Python, acquire data from sources on the Web, and then we will clean, process, analyze, and visualize that data. This course will combine the skills learned throughout the specialization to enable you to write interesting, practical, and useful programs.
Offered by

Rice University
Rice University is consistently ranked among the top 20 universities in the U.S. and the top 100 in the world. Rice has highly respected schools of Architecture, Business, Continuing Studies, Engineering, Humanities, Music, Natural Sciences and Social Sciences and is home to the Baker Institute for Public Policy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the refund policy?
Can I just enroll in a single course?
Is financial aid available?
Can I take the course for free?
Is this course really 100% online? Do I need to attend any classes in person?
Will I earn university credit for completing the Specialization?
How long does it take to complete the Specialization?
What background knowledge is necessary?
Do I need to take the courses in a specific order?
What will I be able to do upon completing the Specialization?
More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.